Mutual relatedness of children in homogeneous and in combined age groups

Glavni namen raziskave je ugotoviti, ali obstajajo razlike v pogostosti pojavljanja posameznih sociometričnih položajev in struktur otrok glede na starostno kombinirane in starostno homogene skupine. Raziskovanje je potekalo v časovnem obdobju dveh mesecev in je temeljilo na neslučajnostnem, namenskem vzorcu petih starostno homogenih in petih starostno kombiniranih skupin. Podatke smo pridobili s pomočjo kvantitativne tehnike sociometrične preizkušnje, intervjujev vzgojiteljic za pridobitev opisov osebnostnih lastnosti ter anketnega vprašalnika za starše. V empiričnem delu smo na osnovi sociometrične preizkušnje želeli ugotoviti, ali obstajajo razlike v medsebojni povezanosti med starostno homogenimi in starostno kombiniranimi skupinami. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da se v starostno homogenih skupinah pojavlja več priljubljenih in več zavrnjenih otrok. Te skupine imajo tudi večji indeks kohezivnosti ter ugodnejšo strukturo skupine v primerjavi s starostno kombiniranimi skupinami. Starejši otroci v starostno kombiniranih skupinah izbirajo med otroki podobne starosti, medtem ko so mlajši otroci izbirali starejše. Posledično to privede do ugotovitve, da so mlajši otroci v večini prezrti, medtem ko se med priljubljene otroke uvrstijo le starejši. Ob analizi sociogramov skupin smo ugotovili, da so mlajši otroci v starostno kombiniranih skupinah v večini osamljeni.The essential purpose of the survey was to find out if between combined and in homogeneous age groups there are differences in frequency of occurrence of individual sociometrical positions and structure of children. The research was based on non-accidental, purposive sample of five homogeneous and five combined age groups. Based on sociometric test, in the empirical part, we wished to find out if there are differences in mutual connections between homogeneous and combined age groups. The research was done over a period of two months and was based on non-accidental, purposive sample of five homogeneous and five combined age groups. We obtained the data with the help of the quantitative technique of sociometric test. The results of the research show that there are more popular and more rejected children in homogeneous age groups. These groups also have a higher index of cohesiveness and a more favourable structure of the group in comparison to combined age groups. Older children in combined age groups choose among children of similar age and younger children choose from among older children. Consequentially, the results lead to the finding that younger children are mostly overlookedonly the older children can be among the popular ones. With the analysis of the sociograms of groups we found out that in combined age groups younger children are mostly lonely

Conflict between adolescents and parents

Problematika konfliktnosti med mladostnikom in starši je kljub porastu števila raziskav v tujini v Sloveniji še vedno relativno neraziskano področje. Aktualnost konfliktov v družini odraža tudi naraščajoče število agresivnih izražanj družinskih sporov v slovenski družbi, ki s tem dnevno postavlja znanost pred nove strokovne izzive. V članku najprej opredelimo konfliktnost v družini in pojem ločimo od drugih sorodnih pojmov. Prispevek prinaša tudi pomembna teoretična in empirično podprta izhodišča za razumevanje razlogov konfliktnosti v družini, natančneje konfliktnosti med mladostnikom in starši. Kritično predstavljamo razvojno psihološki vidik konfliktov med mladostnikom in starši, kjer soočamo in ocenjujemo štiri danes aktualne možne perspektive razvojno-psihološke razlage konfliktnosti: psihoanalitični vidik, socio-biološki, kognitivno razvojni in socio-relacijski vidik. Nazadnje pa v prispevku osvetlimo konfliktnost med mladostniki in starši kot element spremembe celotnega družinskega sistema skozi prizmo soočanja družine s stresom v skladu s Burr-Kleinovim modelom in omenjen model ovrednotimo na osnovi hipotetično predstavljenega primera delovanja družine.Despite the growing number of studies on family conflict abroad this issue still remains relatively unexplored in Slovenia. The importance of this issue is also evident from the increasing incidence of aggressive behaviour in family disputes in the Slovenian society. This represents new challenges science is faced with daily. Firstly, this paper tries to define the concept of family dispute and to separate it from other related concepts. Secondly, we provide a valuable theoretical and empirical understanding of reasons that determine conflict in the family, and more specifically the conflict between adolescents and their parents. The article critically points out the psychological and developmental aspect of the conflict between adolescents and their parents, where four possible developmental psychological perspectives and interpretations of conflicts in family are confronted and evaluated: the psychoanalytic perspective, the socio-biological, the cognitive developmental and the sociorelational aspects. Finally, the article tries to illuminate conflict in family as an element of change of the entire family system through the prism of family coping with stress adopting the Burr-Klein model (1994) and to evaluate the model on the basis of a hypothetically presented case of family functioning

Professional competences of preschool teachers for working with gifted young children in Slovenia

Recognizing giftedness in young preschool children presents an important challenge to all educators. Because giftedness needs nurturing, the aim of the research was to emphasize the importance of gifted children\u27s right to adequate educational opportunities, which will stimulate the optimal development of their potentials. In order to achieve the latter, appropriately qualified preschool teachers are needed, in both diagnostic (the identification of the preschool gifted children) and educational field. The main purpose of the study (N=180) was to analyse professional qualifications and attitudes of preschool teachers in the area of identifying and working with gifted children from age 2 to age 6. The non-experimental causal method was used. The results of the research in Slovenia show the following problems: preschool teachers are inadequately informed about the issues concerning working with gifted childrenthey tend to have low self-competence in identifying personal characteristics of gifted children and in the appropriate use of teaching strategies when working with themthey stress the necessity for further education and professional training in the field of gifted children education

Adaptive segmentation of 3D volumes

The main objective of the thesis was to develop a method for segmentation of a 3D vascular tree model for the program NeckVeins. By comparing the threshold value with the value of each vertex of the segment, which is a voxel, the method determines which voxels represent the main body of the vein tree, which represent the background and which represent the so-called »neighbours«. Depending on how detailed we want to plot the 3D model, the method recursively divides the adjacent voxels to eight smaller voxels. For each of the smaller segment we re-determine to which category it belongs, so that in the end the vein tree model is built from voxels of different sizes. The newly developed algorithm is implemented in the program NeckVeins, which itself already contains its own segmentation method. We compare the differences between the algorithms using screenshots of the 3D vascular model, paying attention to the structure of the blood vessel, staircasing and the accuracy of the plot

Developement of algorithm Petton for automatic calibration of Watbal model

The present degree focuses on developement of algorithm Petton for automatic calibration of water balance model Watbal. Watbal was used in european UNESCO's project of water balance of the Danube basin and in slovenian project of water balance of the Sava basin under the name Sarib. First there is a general description of optimization methods, then more deeply analysis of Watbal follows. We present Watbal's equations for water balance, which simulate dynamics of elements of hydrological circle. A description of calibration of six Watbal parametres with Excel's Goal-Seek function in combination with method of trials and errors, which is standard way of calibration of Watbal, is given. Then description of algorithm Petton, writen in Matlab, which was developed for faster and efficient calibration inside physicaly reasonable parametric space, follows. For water balance analysis slovenian part of Sava river basin was choosen and was divided in twelve subbasins. Description of gathering and preparing of hydrologicay and meteorological data and their quality follows. At the end the results of calibration of Watbal for all twelve subbasins with the help of Petton are given and compared with results of Sarib. On all results basic statistical analysis of deviations and errors are done. It is shown that Petton is quick and effective in calibrating of model Watbal and so it is suitable for further use

The role of libraries in lifelong learning:the case of public libraries in Istria

The aim of the research is to show the quality of lifelong learning programs for public library users in Istria. Public libraries were founded and continue to serve as premier institutions for lifelong learning. According to the European Commission, lifelong learning "promotes the development of knowledge and competences that will enable each citizen to adapt to the knowledge-based society and actively participate in all spheres of social and economic life, taking more control of his or her future." Lifelong learning is defined as "the whole cycle of learning from childhood learning, formal education at all levels through to independent learning throughout adult life, including distance learning, whether or not credits, certificates or diplomas are involved". Lifelong learning is necessary to meet the demands of today's fast-paces, ever-changing workplace requiring an increasing amount of knowledge, and public libraries serve as nodes that connect the local learning setting with the global resource of information and knowledge, so that they play a role of fundamental importance in the development of future systems of lifelong learning. Methods like questionnaire and interviews will be used in the research. This paper should for the first time give a comprehensive insight into the lifelong learning programs for public library users in Istria. The results should point how lifelong learning programs may develop in the future, according to the needs of the society and labour market and what role public libraries will have in it

Adaptive segmentation of 3D volumes

The main objective of the thesis was to develop a method for segmentation of a 3D vascular tree model for the program NeckVeins. By comparing the threshold value with the value of each vertex of the segment, which is a voxel, the method determines which voxels represent the main body of the vein tree, which represent the background and which represent the so-called »neighbours«. Depending on how detailed we want to plot the 3D model, the method recursively divides the adjacent voxels to eight smaller voxels. For each of the smaller segment we re-determine to which category it belongs, so that in the end the vein tree model is built from voxels of different sizes. The newly developed algorithm is implemented in the program NeckVeins, which itself already contains its own segmentation method. We compare the differences between the algorithms using screenshots of the 3D vascular model, paying attention to the structure of the blood vessel, staircasing and the accuracy of the plot